“where are you goin’, julius? where’s yer blackin’ box?” asked patrick riley.
“i’ve retired from business,” said julius.
“did yer rich uncle die, and leave yer a fortune?”
“no, but he’s goin’ up the river to sing sing, for the benefit of his constitushun, and i’m goin’ west fer my health.”
“goin’ west? you’re gassin’.”
“no, i ain’t, i’m goin’ in a few days, along of mr. o’connor, and a lot of other chaps.”
“is it far out there?” asked pat.
“more’n a hundred miles,” said julius, whose ideas of geography and distances were rather vague.
“yer don’t mean ter live out there?”
“yes, i do, i’m goin’ on to a farm, or into a store, and grow up respectable.”
“won’t yer miss the city, julius?”
“likely i will.”
“i don’t think i’d like the country,” said pat, reflectively. “new york’s a bully place. there’s always something goin’ on. i say, did you hear of that murder in center street last night?”
“no; what was it?”
“a feller stabbed a cop that was trottin’ him round to the station house for bein’ tight. there’s always something to make it lively here. in the country there ain’t no murders, nor burglaries, nor nothin’,” concluded pat, rather contemptuously.
“i hope there’s theayters,” said julius, thoughtfully. “i like to go when there’s a good lively piece.”
“have you been to our theayter yet, julius?”
“your theayter?”
“yes, me and some of the boys have got up a theayter. we do the pieces and actin’ ourselves.”
“where is it?” asked julius, with lively curiosity.
“it’s no. 17 baxter street, down in the basement. we call it ‘the grand duke’s oprea house.’ we don’t have to pay no rent. it’s jim campara’s place, an’ he’s treasurer, so his father don’t charge nothin’.”
“how long have you been goin’, pat?”
“most a month. we play every night.”
“are you doin’ well? do you make money?”
“tiptop. i say, julius, yer must come to-night. it’s my benefit.”
“do you get all the money that’s took in?”
“no, half goes for expenses. i get the rest.”
“what do you do?”
“oh, i play nigger parts, and dance the jigs.”
“what do you charge for a ticket?”
“five cents admission, and eight cents reserved seats.”
“that’s cheaper’n tony pastor’s.”
“yes; we can’t expect to get so much as tony, ’cause yer know we ain’t purfessional. we’re amatoors.”
“how much do you get for your valuable services, pat?” asked julius, laughing.
“i’ll tell yer the way we do. jim campara—he’s the treasurer—keeps all the stamps till the end of the week, and then it is divided between us. last week i got three dollars.”
“you did! well, that’s pretty good pay.”
“well,” said pat, “there’s some expenses. i have to pay for my wardrobe.”
“what’s that?”
“my stage clo’es. besides i have to practice dancin’ in the daytime. i ain’t pat riley on the stage.”
“what are you, then?”
“my actin’ name is ‘miles o’reilly.’”
“what made you change?”
“yer see it sounds grander than pat riley.”
“who acts besides you?”
“oh, there’s dan conroy, pete connors, teddy sullivan, jim mcgrath, dick burke, jim gillispie and campara.”
“if i was goin’ to stay in the city i’d like to play too,” said julius.
“maybe you ain’t got a genius for it,” responded the eminent negro comedian. “lots of boys wants to come in, but we don’t take none if they can’t act. there was billy burke wanted to come; but we tried him, an’ he couldn’t play no more’n a stick. we want fellers that’ll draw. you come round to-night, an’ you’ll see what we can do.”
“i guess i will. what number did you say?”
“no. 17 baxter street. curtain rises at eight o’clock, prompt.”
“i’ll be there. what yer goin’ to play?”
“‘laughin’ gas’ and ‘dick turpin’ is the principal pieces, but the ‘mulligan guards’ is the best. yer better be on time, for it’s my benefit, and my friends will be out in crowds.”
here’s pat’s keen eyes detected a gentleman with soiled boots, and he called out, “shine yer boots, mister?”
“yes, if you’ll be quick about it.”
“i’ll shine ’em up in half a second, sir.”
“go ahead!”
the gentleman submitted his boots to the professional efforts of pat, unaware that the young bootblack was the celebrated miles o’reilly of the “grand duke’s oprea house.” probably he had never visited that famous and fashionable place of amusement, or he would have recognized the face of one of the most brilliant stars in the galaxy of talent which nightly appeared upon its humble stage.
julius went on his way, being for a few days a gentleman of leisure. for the benefit of such readers as may not be familiar with the details of his story as told in “slow and sure,” it is well to record the fact that he had been brought up by jack morgan, a thief and burglar, who, for the last four years, had spent half of his time on blackwell’s island. when at liberty, julius lived with him. when he was in seclusion, julius looked out for himself, and, being sharp and shrewd, and accustomed to depend upon his own exertions, managed just as well without his guardian as with him. he had no particular reason to like jack, who merely gave him the liberty of earning his own living, and frequently borrowed his scanty earnings without thinking it necessary to repay them.
some weeks before, jack, with a friend and confederate, marlowe, formed a plan for entering a house on madison avenue, which, they had reason to believe, contained a considerable amount of plate. the owner was absent in europe and the house was left during his absence under the care of paul hoffman and his mother. paul, whose early history is recorded in “paul, the peddler,” was the proprietor of a street necktie stand, near the astor house. he had on one occasion shown kindness to julius, and the latter was grateful. learning that jack and marlowe proposed to enter the house occupied by paul, he showed his gratitude by giving the young street merchant an intimation of their intentions. thus, when the attempt was made, paul was prepared, and the two burglars walked into a trap. jack was caught on the spot, but marlowe for the time escaped. had he left the city at once, he might have escaped wholly. but he was inflamed with bitter anger against the boy julius, who, as he rightly judged, had betrayed them, and he was determined to be revenged. following the boy to staten island, he overtook him in a lonely place, and but for timely interference might have murdered him, in which case the present volume would never have been written.
but julius was reserved for better things. his dangerous enemy was arrested, and being identified as having been concerned in the madison avenue robbery, was tried in due form, and sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment in sing sing.
i have anticipated matters a little, as at the time the present story opens both he and jack morgan were temporarily confined in the tombs, while awaiting trial.
as for julius, he was rewarded by a gift of fifty dollars, and, by the advice of his new friends, determined to seek a home in the west, going out under the auspices of the children’s aid society. the company of which he was to be one was to start in a few days. meanwhile julius decided to enjoy a rest from his usual labors, having an ample supply of money to meet his small expenses. on the whole, he was pleased with the idea of going west. but, apart from this consideration, he felt that his life would not be safe in the city should jack morgan or marlowe succeed in breaking jail, as they had done more than once before. the boy had good reason to apprehend danger, for he well knew their brutal natures, and their unscrupulousness, and that they would stop at no crime in wreaking vengeance upon him. once out west, however, he would be out of their reach, and it was not likely that they would follow him out there.
